Interns are More than Tea

We hosted Marvin, a Master's student from Solent University, for a three month placement within our marketing team at the start of the year. We encourage internships wherever possible:

"Having interns joining the SR team is such an important part of our business model. We love giving the opportunity to students and budding professionals to gain some insight and experience of the industry. It has proven to be the most effective form of recruitment over the years for us with senior team members starting off with a weeks work experience. We gain fresh ideas and new perspectives, so it is a win-win situation. We always keep a spare desk and have a huge amount of interest from students. Marvin was a real pleasure to have with us."

Mavin shares his experience in his own words below.

Marvin’s Intern Story

A postgraduate degree opens many doors. For me, that door was into the Studio Republic office.

I am reading a Master's in Advertising at Solent University, which is where I was introduced to Studio Republic via one of their team members who studied on my course part time. An invitation to their monthly event Winchester Creatives later and I was craving more. As a digital enthusiast and being quite green at heart, it felt like a natural place for me. As part of our Master's course, students are required to undertake an internship with a relevant organisation. It felt natural to apply for one with Studio Republic, encouraged by my course fellow and their Head of Brand Strategy, Dee Russell.

The interview was surprisingly enjoyable and I was made to feel very welcome and at ease with the team. They were inviting from the get go, interviewing me within a week of my application and offering such an encouraging space for the interview itself. Fast forward three months later and I am reflecting on these past months with them. Their sincerity, integrity and encouragement had been present every single day I interned, there was never a dull moment.

The Placement Itself

Our group of course mates would often discuss what each of our internships entailed and how they were getting along. Many were frustrated with the work they were given, finding themselves given menial tasks. Some were regarded with lower value within the team or simply labelled as ‘the intern’. My experience was quite the opposite and so I made sure to not take it for granted. I was privy to client meetings, seeking promotional opportunities, develop my design skills, work on their copy, support their Digital Strategist with upcoming events, lead my own research project and then even had my own client.

The team included me as a genuine member of staff, taking time and energy to teach and support me during those three months. My ideas were not shunned and my voice held equal strength in the discussions. In a prior blog post, another intern Hân wrote about how Studio Republic truly takes you in as a valued member of their team and frankly I couldn’t agree more.

Aside from the work itself, the team and community spirit they have crafted is inspiring. Collectively they have a sincere drive to leave their mark on the industry – albeit a green and sustainable mark! They aren’t concentrating their energy on chasing highly profitable clients which compromise their brand ethos. They show true moral integrity and heart in their bid to only work with like-minded organisations who come knocking on their door.

Why Internships Are Valuable to Both Parties

People often ask why students and businesses put their energy into internships. From a student perspective, our University based learning may be extensive but still holds its classroom limitations. Working in-house, outside of your University bubble, allows you to ride the unpredictable wave of client relationships, briefs, colleagues. It’s an environment which requires real life experience to learn from, and taught so much more than I had expected.

The team element itself was a challenge I hadn’t foreseen, for it showed just how professionals have to coordinate themselves within their workplace each day. It was one of the biggest learning curves, and the most useful takeaway from my experience with Studio Republic. Understanding how communication and scheduling were integrated together for workflow was beyond useful, as was seeing how a studio was run across various clients, skill sets and project stages. It made me acutely aware of how this could be incorporated into my group project work at university to create a stronger team with higher calibre work, in addition to how I should conduct myself within the workplace as a graduate.

A Lasting Impression

For businesses, interns offer the opportunity to input fresh ideas as they are often the spokesperson for an additional demographic. Studio Republic’s interns have a reputation for leaving their mark. One design intern became full-time, shaped the business into an ethical creative agency, evolved her role to Sustainability Consultant, saw the agency win a string of ethical awards and accreditations and has this year launched its sustainability consultancy. Another intern created stunning visuals for the team, and so she was taken on after her internship to continue working together. She shaped the visuals and expression of personality from the team, and it’s encouraging to know how these interns set such a high example here.

The internships here aren’t crafted to be trial junior positions as internships often are. Sure, there may so happen to be a position for the right person at the right time, but you aren’t made to feel like its a test and you are competing for a position against others.

My three months here taught me the benefits of working on creating a positive and communicative workplace and what corporate and social responsibility organisations of any size have. The interns who are lucky enough to work here will inevitably carry these experiences with them into their next venture, and hopefully continue to spread the creative for good message.

Not only that, but it seems like most of the interns become sort of ‘ambassadors’ for Studio Republic, which can only work in your favour.

If you are interested in interning or working with Studio Republic, email us on hello@studiorepublic.com and we'll get in touch soon.

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